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Monday, August 31, 2009

I have expressed my love for both risotto and Cook's Illustrated in previous posts, so imagine my excitement when I came across a recipe for risotto from Cook's Illustrated! And it has shrimp! And scallops! And wine! And I can use tomatoes and basil from my garden! The excitement was exhausting.

This was a fairly quick weeknight dinner, and since risotto is basically a one-pot meal, clean up is a breeze as well. In fact, the shrimp and scallops are essentially poached in the risotto; seriously, it doesn't get any easier.

This had a great seafood flavor without being overly fishy. The saffron gave it a nice depth of flavor, and the clam juice reinforced the seafood taste without being overpowering. I used bay scallops instead of cutting up sea scallops. I also used a shallot instead of onion... because it just seemed like the right thing to do. The only other change I would make would be to add a squirt of lemon juice when serving. I felt like it would have benefited from the acid and brightness.

I served this with a nice dry rose' and a crusty baguette, and it was a great summer meal.

Combine the chicken broth and clam juice in a medium heat proof bowl. Cover, and microwave until hot, 1 to 3 minutes.

Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened, 1-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and saffron and cook until the ends of the rice are transparent, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until it is completely absorbed, 1-2 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the hot broth mixture and simmer, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has absorbed, and the bottom of the pan is almost dry. This will take close to 10 minutes.

Adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, and stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed between each addition. Be careful not to let the bottom of the pan dry out. Continue to stir often, and repeat until the rice is al dente, about 10-15 minutes. You may not use all the broth. I just began tasting after about 10 minutes, and kept adding broth and stirring until it was done.

Vigorously stir in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter until it has melted. Gently fold in the shrimp, scallops, tomatoes, basil, and 1/3 cup of the broth mixture. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until the seafood is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir once halfway through cooking. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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